Empire State Cup Coaches, Tryout Dates Released

A tremendous set of coaches will be manning the sidelines at the 2012 Empire State Cup, which takes place in Syracuse, New York on July 26-29, 2012.

Each region has a staff of three coaches, with a wide variety of experience in the sport, ranging from current professional players to Hall of Fame coaches.
The State of New York is divided by county into six regional territories: Adirondack, Central, Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City and Western. Each coaching staff will oversee their squad from tryouts in June through the tournament in July.
Players interested in participating in tryouts for the 2012 Empire Cup can register online now at www.empirestatecup.com

Adirondack

Head Coach: Joshua Porcell
Assistant Coaches: Kyle Hartzell, Terry Kimener
Regional Tryouts: June 12 at 4pm, June 13 at 4pm – Siena College
Porcell, who plays professionally for the Ohio Machine, has recently served as an assistant coach at Skidmore College, where he coached three All-Americans and helped lead Skidmore to the Liberty League Conference Championship in 2010. He also has served for his high school alma mater Saratoga Springs in 2010 and 2011. Porcell has four years of MLL experience, with the Machine and the Boston Cannons. A 2007 graduate of UMBC, he helped lead the Retrievers to their first Quarterfinals appearance in school history in 2007. He currently operates Rogue Lacrosse, a lacrosse training company founded with Hartzell and Kimener.

Hartzell, who plays professionally for the Ohio Machine, is the Assistant Coach at Boys Latin High School in Baltimore, and the Defensive Coach for Rogue Lacrosse. He has four years of professional experience, with the San Francisco Dragons, Chesapeake Bayhawks, and the Machine, as well as Indoor with the Washington Stealth. Hartzell won an MLL Championship with the Bayhawks in 2010, and was named MVP of Championship Weekend. He was also an MLL All-Star in 2011, winning the league’s Fastest Shot competition. Hartzell, who has represented the United States in both indoor and outdoor lacrosse, was an All-American at Salisbury University, winning a National Championship in 2010.

Kimener, who plays professionally for the Denver Outlaws, is the Assistant Coach at Chantilly High School in Virginia. He is a 2008 graduate of UMBC, where he was a three-time All-American, and tied for first all-time in school history in points. He was an assistant coach for UMBC in 2009, leading the Retrievers to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, and coaching four All-Americans. Kimener, who is currently the Offensive Coach at Rogue Lacrosse, has five years of MLL experience, with the Outlaws and the Chicago Machine.

Central
Head Coach: BJ O’Hara
Assistant Coaches: TBD
Regional Tryouts: June 12 at 6pm, June 14 at 6pm – Henninger High School
O’Hara, who currently serves as an Assistant Coach for the Denver Outlaws, is in his ninth MLL season and 36th overall as a lacrosse coach. He is 206-164 (.557) all-time, with his teams reaching the postseason 18 times under his guidance, including nine NCAA Championships and one MLL Title. Additionally, he served on the selection committee of the U.S. Men’s National Team that earned the 2010 FIL World Championship. Highlights of his coaching career include serving as head coach of the Rochester Rattlers, Hobart College and Dartmouth College. A member of the Hobart College Athletics Hall of Fame, O’Hara was a four-year letterman and two-time All-American who served as team captain during his senior season with the Statesmen (1975). He ranks second on the school’s all-time goals scored list (163), fourth in points (280) and fourth in assists (117). O’Hara played on the school’s first national championship team in 1972. O’Hara has coached 101 NCAA All-Americans and MLL All Stars during his career.

Hudson Valley
Head Coach: Lew Janavey
Assistant Coaches: Brian Dalton, John Jez
Regional Tryouts: June 11 at 4pm, June 21 at 4pm – Somers High School
Javaney, who served as Head Coach of the Hudson Valley team in the 2004 Empire State Games, as well as an Assistant Coach from 1997-2000, is one of the most established boys lacrosse coaches in the Lower Hudson Valley. He currently serves as head coach at Somers High School, and coaches the WestRock travel summer program. Janavey previously served as an assistant coach at Lakeland/Panas High School and Edgemont High School.

Dalton, who currently serves as an Assistant Coach at Somers High School, has led the Tuskers offense to average over 13 goals per game under his tenure. He previously served as an assistant coach at St. John’s University, running special teams and defense, as well as head coach at Fox Lane High School from 2002-2007, in which the Foxes topped section 1 in all offensive categories. Dalton also coaches with the WestRock travel summer program.

Jez, currently in his fifth season as head coach at C.W. Post on Long Island, is presently the chairman of the NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship Committee, as well as the Central Region Advisor for the USILA National Poll. Under his leadership, Post captured its second straight national title in 2010. Jez served as an assistant under legendary coach Frank Vitolo at Pace University, before taking over as head coach of Pace in 2003.

Long Island
Head Coach: Chris Deeks
Assistant Coaches: Dan Achatz, Eric Zilinek
Regional Tryouts: June 9 at 3pm – Half Hollow Hills High School
Deeks, an Empire Games veteran, has been head coach of Long Island twice, winning gold in 1995 and 2008, as well as an assistant coach three times. He served as an assistant to Fran McCall and Bob Hoppey at the inaugural Empire Games. He is currently the head coach at Great Neck North, and previously served as head coach at Floral Park Memorial. He also was previously a defensive coordinator for Hofstra University and St. John’s University, and head coach at Globe Institute of Technology. In addition to the Empire State Cup, Deeks also coaches the Eastern Region Team at the Brine National Lacrosse Classic.

Achatz, who served as an assistant coach for Long Island at the 2008 Empire Games, is currently the head coach at Valley Stream High School. He was previously an assistant coach at Manhattanville College. Achatz played his collegiate lacrosse at Rutgers, where he was the 2003 winner of The Rutgers Lacrosse Knight Cup, awarded to the player who has played the game of lacrosse to the best of his ability, who has, by example, inspired or led his teammates both on and off the field and who, above all, has consistently demonstrated the qualities of unselfishness and loyalty to his team and Rutgers University.

Zilinek, who served as an assistant coach for Long Island at the 2008 Empire Games, is currently the defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach at Great Neck North. He also previously coached at Floral Park Memorial and held the same position at Globe Institute of Technology. Zilinek played collegiately at New York Institute of Technology, where he was a faceoff specialist and defensive midfieler.

New York City
Head Coach: Brooks Sweet
Assistant Coaches: Joseph Fowler, Ben Kaminow
Regional Tryouts: June 11, June 13, June 18, June 20 at 6pm – Poly Prep
Sweet, who has spent a lifetime in the game of lacrosse, is a veteran of the United States National Team, winning MVP of the 1982 Championship Game and earning All-World Honors. As a physical education teacher and head coach at Poly Prep Country Day School, Sweet led his varsity team to victory at the state finals in 2011. Sweet also coaches the Middle School teams at Poly, and has operated his MVP Lacrosse Camps and Leagues for youth players over the last 18 years. Through his accomplishments, he has been inducted into six different Hall of Fames.

Fowler, who has previously served as an Assistant Coach for the New York City Empire Teams, has been a volunteer lacrosse coach for the Doc’s NYC Youth Program for the past 10 years. Previously an All-American Defenseman at Hofstra University, Fowler extended his playing career in the club circuit with Long Island and North Hempstead teams.

Kaminow, who serves as Director of Boys Lacrosse at Doc’s NYC Lacrosse, has coached with the Docs program since 1998. He is also a co-founder of CityLax and is in the New York City Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Kaminow has also volunteered his time to assist with the NYC Empire Team, and helped launch Rotten Apples and Team 212 High School recruiting teams. A graduate of Syracuse University, Kaminow has played club lacrosse for Arena Graphics on Long Island.

Tundo Sr., who currently serves as head coach at Orchard Park High School, has previously won a gold medal with Western as head coach at the Empire State Games. In his career at Orchard Park, Tundo has 484 career varsity wins, and has captured 19 section 6 championships. He has appeared in 11 final-fours, and three state finals, coaching 28 All-Americans during his tenure.

Smith, who serves as head coach at Canisius High School, has won three professional world championships as a member of the Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks, and Rochester Rattlers. He was won the 2007 Unsung Hero Award with the Rattlers, and coached the Italy National Team at the last World Games. He also represented the United States at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. Smith is a graduate of Towson University, where he served as team captain and won three CAA Conference Championships.

Tundo Jr., who was a member of the Buffalo Bandits in 2006, has seen action with the St. Regis Indians of Major Series Lacrosse. He was a four-year starter at UMass, where he was named ECAC Rookie of the Year in 2002, and advanced to the National Quarterfinals three times. Tundo finished 11th all-time in assists at UMass, and was named to Inside Lacrosse’s UMass All-Decade Team. A high school All-American, Tundo appeared in the Empire State Games twice, winning a gold medal once.